Follow Me
by Isadora26
Summary: Can Dean and Sam find each other before it's too late?
1. Chapter 1

1Follow Me

Chapter One

"I think the psychic backlash kinda over shot that Blink." Leah breathed.

"Really?" Sam replied at a pant as he watched her wrap her good arm around the post with a nervous glance down. Sam wasn't going to look down. He refused. He was having a hard enough time holding onto the beam as well, his arms wrapped around Leah as their was no way they could move apart in their present position.

"Yeah...just a guess." She whispered lulling her head backwards against his chest.

"Good guess." Sam breathed against the top of her head.

"So...uh." Leah wrapped her legs around the bottom half of the beam and felt Sam follow her movements with a wince. His legs wrapped around her legs as they both tried to keep their balance where they were. "Well..." She giggled nervously. "Guess it's not good to mention my fear of heights right about now."

"I think anyone would be a little scared at the moment." Sam nodded against her as he avoided contact with his feet simply relying on the strength in the muscles of his thighs to hold himself in place around Leah.

"Or that...I 've got to pee." Leah sighed against the cold metal letting her head fall forward again.

"Yeah I could have done without knowing that." Leah felt Sam's smile against her cheek as he let his head fall forward as well.

"Good work with that whole locking the door in there by the way." Leah didn't know how long they could possibly hold on like this.

They were both still smoking from the fire's roar that occurred inside the incinerator just before she had grabbed Sam's arm feeling the blink coming on with a vengeance. "Thanks...not to bad yourself with the whole...pushing the button...did you see the cloud on the ceiling?"

"Yeah...lets never talk about that again...freaked me out." Leah nodded against the beam and Sam's head. "That was what they really look like?"

"That's what a whole room of them really looks like...next destination was hell." Sam replied easily as he tried to reposition himself against her. "Don't move...alright."

"Not going anywhere...trust me." Leah locked her arm around the beam tighter as she felt Sam shifting against her pushing himself up...trying to gauge their position.

"So if you had to guess..." Sam broke off as he reached for the beam above them. "Where would you say we were?"

"In hell." Leah didn't like the protectiveness of his arms leaving her. She felt exposed...like she could teeter and fall off at any moment.

"Leah...are you still drunk?" Sam paused as she replied with the explanation.

Leah looked down through the cross beams of the tower crane to the ground below. "No...I think I'm sobering up."

Sam felt the soft movement of her body beneath him as he raised up holding his place between the beams as he peered across the crane's top perpendicular to the box beyond the main column. He held on with his right hand and brought his left hand up to flag the controller sitting in the box. He knew from experience that Leah couldn't always control her blinks so he wasn't leaving the next move to chance. "You think Dean and Bobby made it out alright?"

Leah closed her eyes before nodding. Nothing like false hope in these sorts of situations, right? "I think so.. I hope so anyway. You guys obviously have done a lot.. so I'm going with Yes."

Sam smiled at that. He hoped she was right...prayed she was right. There had been a lot of agents in the building...surely though Dean and Bobby thought of something. Sam found his eyes drawn to the ground and felt his grip tighten as if by instinct. The thoughts of Dean and Bobby would have to take a back seat for the moment as he tried to find a way out of this. The people below looked like ants ...and the cars...they were tiny along the strip of road that ran in front of the high rise that was being constructed at their backs. He closed his eyes with a sniff trying to still his nerves. "Yeah...you're right." The sound of his own voice in his ears seemed to help the spinning to stop a moment. "Ok so..."

"You ever blinked into a position like this before?" Did it really matter if she had? Maybe he was just trying to keep her talking...making sure she was not unconscious below him. Sam opened his eyes and saw the controller rising in the seat across the way picking up his radio...screaming into the radio. "Looks like we got noticed."

"God no.. Never. Ever. I would've died." Leah said, looking straight ahead as she resisted the urge to look down. 'Yeah, that'd be real smart.' She thought. "Of course, I'm not dead yet.. Oh Thank God, Allah and Buddha. Thank everyone and everything. We might actually get out of this one."

"Don't count your blessings yet." Sam heard the man try to scream something out the control box to him but he couldn't make it out over the wind and the distance in between. Sam motioned to his ear and shook his head trying to let the man know that he couldn't hear him. The man nodded that he understood and started with a play at charades to explain what was going on. Sam narrowed his eyes as the man began to wave his arms around his head. Sam shook his head in confusion. "Leah you know what this guys trying to say and hold on I got to lower myself down or I'm going to lose my balance. Just take a look straight ahead he's the one waving his arms over his head like a lunatic."

"Yeah. Gotcha. Alright." She looked at the guy and tried to make out what he was saying. "I'm lost." Continuing to study him, Leah was starting to get a little woozy from blood loss and the height.

Sam felt Leah's body sway slightly beneath him as he lowered his body back over hers and wrapped himself around her and the beam carefully trying to still the both of them into a stable sort of position.

"What's new?" He smiled against her cheek at her lost statement. "Hang in there. I guess that's the universal sign for helicopter...or you lost your hat...not really sure. I doubt they expect us to climb down this thing...and it doesn't look like they can move up around to a safer drop point..." That was all Sam could put together. They had to be making a Medivac out of here.

"Leah...look don't pass out alright...you go I go kinda thing here. So now would be a good time to keep talking." Sam tried to avoid her broken arm as he moved but felt the blood soaking into his sleeve and winced for her and the pain shifting through him. "Maybe we can work on the story we're going to feed these guys...cause I doubt they believe we climbed up here in our condition."

"Oh ha. Ha. I know, I know, but I'm not going to pass out. I'm too stubborn for that sorta thing. Willpower triumphs over all and that sorta stuff." Leah paused for a second. "Uh.. I'm going with Satanic Death Cult." There... That oughta get the conversation going.

"Satanic Death Cult?" Sam froze. He couldn't stop himself as he felt the laugh reverberate through his chest. "I gotta hear this...exactly what happened with this Satanic Death Cult to land us up here? They throw us out of a plane? Obviously they tortured us first..." Sam laughed again and suddenly drew in a sharp breath when the action caused them to shift slightly.

"Yeah.. What else do Satanic Death Cults do with their hapless victims? Torture then, toss 'em out of a plane. That's what I'd do." She tried her damndest to steady them as they shifted around.

"Well at least you've thought it out...They must have done it in early when no one was around to see. I'm pretty sure the construction crew would have noticed a plane...we can't really go with this story can we ? I mean can you actually say Satanic Death Cult with a straight face?"The sound of an aircraft of some sort sounded in the distance.

"Maybe." Leah said suggestively. "We can't go with 'we passed out at the bar and woke up here, hanging around', can we? Although we could work that angle... Memory loss would be good... Maybe." She said thoughtfully, still hanging on.

"Memory loss...yeah...how did we hang on while we were unconscious...before we woke up here? They'd expect us to remember something...we can play on some memory loss...but not a whole lot. We just have to make sure we are saying the same thing. Because unless we figure out a good reason they are going to separate us real quick." Sam fell silent as he felt the wind pick up around them from the approaching aircraft. He held on. "We'll have to think of it quick too...God I hope you can lie convincingly. We're about to have company."

"I think I got a little bit. I'll follow your lead though." Leah said, an idea forming in her head. "And as for my lying habits... I lie very convincingly. A talent I got from my momma." Leah said, proudly, her head starting to spin.

Sam furrowed his brows wondering what she was cooking up in that brain of hers. Just the thought of it caused him to worry...he'd known her what...all of five hours and he couldn't even pin down one thing about her save that she was at least mostly insane. So whatever it was...it was sure to take him off guard. At least she was following his lead though. "Figured is runs in the family." Sam called next to her ear as the sound of the helicopter above them began to drown everything else out.

As if out of no where a man was lowered down hanging onto a basket with a couple of harnesses and ropes. "Stay Calm! I'm here to help you." The man called out as he swung over to the Crane frame pulling the basket with him. "I'm going to have to take you up one at a time! Sir, You're going to have to go first."

Sam looked over his eyes narrowed to avoid the wind coming off the blades above them. "She can't hold on very well...hers arms broken!" Sam screamed back at him. "Can you take her first?"

"I'm ok, Honey! I can hold on a little longer!" Leah screamed, her voice filling with desperation. "Just go quickly!"

"I'm sorry the way you two are positioned you have to go first. I'll get you in the basket and stay here with her. She's not going to fall...understand?" The man pulled out the first harness and began to wrap it around Sam wedging his hand between the two of them to push the clasps into place.

Sam was beginning to pick up on her plan with the honey remark. It might actually work in keeping them together more then not...but this was going to be one tough sell...they would have to be absolutely hysterical about being separated. No time like the present to start. "You're going to be alright Sugar Bear...you hear me...you just hang on here. I'm not going far. I promise." Sam kissed her cheek as the man gave the harness a tug to make sure it was in place tightly. God this was so not right. "I ...I don't know if I can leave her!" Sam called out in his best I'm near hysterical voice...as he worked on getting the tears in place.

"I know. I know, baby! We're going to be ok.. We're going to be ok, I think! Just don't go far, honey... I- I- " Leah trailed off, getting more hysterical, but keeping a tight grip on where she was hanging.

"Ma'am It's going to be alright." Their rescuer secured his hold on her as he wrapped the second harness around her before looking to Sam still half way on top of her. "Sir she's going to be just fine...I'm not leaving her...We've just got to get you clear before we can pull her up...so the faster you get on board that Chopper the faster we can get her up there." Sam took a moment to let his hysteria fad a bit and finally nodded. "Good. Now I just need you to step into the basket and sit down." The man held it in place and waited for Sam to climb inside and settled before he gave the basket operator a thumbs up.

"Pumpkin, You hang in there!" Sam screamed the whole way up until his voice faded into the sound of the chopper before he was pulled into the vehicle and the basket was lowered back down.

"Oh, I'm hanging... I'm hanging!" She yelled.

"She's so brave." Sam got out in tears to the men now trying to look him over...checking the extent of the damage to him as he tried to get fully into this performance.

The rescuer pulled the basket in and took Leah by her good arm. "Alright miss it's your turn." He helped her to her feet holding tight to her as he noticed the pallor to her skin from the blood loss and tightened his hold on her. "We're both getting in the basket and then we're heading up that chopper then to the hospital...that's it. It's easy...you can do this." He held the basket in place and simultaneously tried to help her into it.

"O-Okay.. Okay.. Baby?" She asked, looking around now that she was safe. "Is he ok?" Leah asked frantically.

The rescuer nodded from his corner of the small basket as he held her in place looking up to their next stop. "I'm sure he's fine. You're both probably in a bit of shock...but you're going to be fine. He's going to be fine."

Sam fought the men trying to help him off of him as soon as Leah was out of the basket and frantically fought the pain wavering through him to get to her and drag her into his arms, desperately, his tears looking as real as he could get them. This was so much easier with Dean. They knew what the other was going to say before it was out of their mouth. "Oh God. Honey." Sam's body wracked with the joyful sobs of relief as he finally whispered in her ear. "You are nuts...brilliant...but nuts." Sam pulled back wiping at his eyes. "It's all over Sweety...we're going to be alright."

Leah wanted to laugh. But that would've really thrown off the act, so she started happily sobbing, wrapping her good arm around his waist and settling in the crook of his neck. "Oh God. Oh God.. I thought.. Oh God... We're ok... We're ok..." She said, almost chanting it like a mantra. "Oh, baby, I love you so much.." She blurted out.

Sam wrapped his arm around her again as the rescue men began to try and assess their conditions. He refused to let go of her even when they asked them too forcing them to work on the two of them still huddled together, now laying on the floor of the chopper. 'Dean I hope you're alright.' Sam thought to himself before planting another kiss on Leah's forehead and giving her good arm a rub. "I love you too, baby."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Hanover Fire department." Captain Randolph closed the refrigerator to answer the phone and yawned the greeting into the receiver. "On our way." he hung up the phone and stared at the sandwich on the counter a moment in shock. For a small town he'd almost completely forgotten that they had HAZMAT gear. In fact he only remembered one other time that they had gotten called in in full gear and that was a decade ago.

Randolph cursed under his breath before he slammed his hand into the alert button and the sirens through out the building began to go off bringing the station to life. He grabbed the station intercom and pressed the button that allowed his voice to flood the station before he called out. "HAZMAT gear required for classification 6.1. That's Air born contamination, poison in nature guys. I need extra oxygen loaded on the trucks. This is not a drill."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"You know you're the poster boy for denial." Dean spoke up from the back of the cruiser looking to Hendrickson and his partner. Both sitting beside the men that had been called in to drive them all to Hanover General Hospital. "You saw them Hendrickson...we all saw them...everyone saw them...that was not some bio weapon hallucinogen. Why can't you just admit that it's possible that things you can't explain exist?"

"Shut up Winchester." Hendrickson called out his hand covering his eyes from the bright noonday sun.

"Oh come on." Dean kicked at the back of the seat in frustration. "They are going to pump us full of anti whatevers for no reason! There is nothing wrong with your team!" Dean called out.

Hendrickson rounded over his head rest and glared back at Dean. "I said to shut up! There was something in the air that effected my men...me... something that you did...and as soon as they have evidence of it. I'm adding Bioterrorism to your warrants."

"You have go to be kidding me...there was no gaseous hallucinogens!" Dean screamed at him.

"Tell that to your brother! Whatever he was on caused him to incinerate himself!" Hendrickson shot back.

"You son of a bitch!" Dean slammed his foot down into the back of Hendrickson's seat and saw the man's body move forward and then pitch to the side into the door. "Don't you talk about my brother!"

"Pull over!" Hendrickson yelled out in rage.

"Bring it on!" Dean called in knowing that the man wanted to beat the holy crud out of him for that jolt...but he wasn't about to back down even as confined as he was.

"Hendrickson, You aren't in control of this team at the moment and whatever this substance is could still be effecting your judgement. I refuse to pull over to allow you to accost the prisoner." The police officer driving replied steadily. "Mr. Winchester you will quiet down however or I will be forced to subdue you...understand?"

Dean glared back without a reply. 'Yeah right'- he would calm down.


	2. Chapter 2

1Chapter Two

Bobby paced back and forth in the hospital room his hands needing something to occupy them, but every time he brought his arms up his elbow reminded him of the sheer amount of blood they had taken from him. The IV stand served as his boundary as he pulled at the tubing in frustration. This was ridiculous. Hendrickson had obviously lost it. How anyone could see what that man saw and still think that it was all part of some crazy hallucinogen instead of actual demons and ghosts...Bobby would never understand the man. The questioning had already begun and Bobby was giving little more then a recap as he waited for his favors to come through.

He was relatively sure that he had used them all. His favors, that is...in order to secure his release. Unfortunately, that wouldn't help Dean. The boy was in far too much trouble for any pull on Bobby's part. Still he had one solution for Dean.

Bobby looked up to see his finely attired lawyer walking into the room past the arms guards in the hallway. "Well you've really stepped in it this time." Andrew Franks got out with a shake of his head. "Do you have any idea what it took to get you're bail?"

"I really don't care right now, Andrew." Bobby replied shortly. "I need you to get a message to the boy they brought in with me."

"I don't know if I can." Andrew's eyes widened. "And if I were you would put as much distance between the connection you two have as you can..."

"You find a way...and that's under advisement...All I need you to tell him is that he needs to act more like his Dad in reference to what I told him after he pulled Sam from the river." Bobby got out ignoring the confusion that surfaced in his friends eyes. "I wouldn't ask if it wasn't..."

"Important?" Andrew nodded. "Yeah I figured. I'm not going to ask...cause I really don't want to know, but as soon as the treatment for whatever you were exposed to is finished...you are released on bail, but ordered to stay in town." Andrew tossed Bobby a bag of his personal effects.

"Thanks for that." Bobby nodded.

"I think that squares us." Andrew nodded in return meeting his eyes briefly. "You stay out of trouble from here on out...or at least don't get caught."

"No promises there." Bobby smiled softly with a chuckle.

"There never were." Andrew laughed out. He held out his hand in a friendly goodbye...meaning never to see the man again. "Take care, Bobby."

"You too Andrew." Bobby clasped his hand and watched as he walked out the door to deliver the message to Dean.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Dean looked to the wrist straps on the bed defiantly. That worthless no good son of a bitch. He was in full restraint receiving his treatment for a condition that didn't even exist because Hendrickson had informed everyone that Dean Winchester was a world class escape artist. What he wouldn't have given for a paper clip in his mouth...though how he would have unfolded it with his tongue was beyond him. "Sam you better be alright." Dean breathed to the ceiling clinching and unclinching his fists in frustration of his current situation.

He looked up instantly as the door opened and a guy in a suite walked in.

"Bobby sent me, I'm Andrew Franks, his attorney. I'm just going to say this as fast as I can and be on my way." Andrew began obviously regarding Dean with some disdain. "Bobby asked me to tell you to that it would be in your benefit to begin acting liking your father in regards to what he was talking about when you climbed out of the river earlier. I suppose that that means something to you."

Dean frowned taking that in with a nod. "How is Bobby?" He asked before the guy could leave still letting the message rumble around through his head as he tried to put it in context.

Andrew paused his hand on the knob of the hospital room. "He's going to be leaving as soon as the treatment is finished. He made bail." He watched Dean nod in relief. "Look if you really want to do him a favor then keep him away. The more association he has with you the worse his case is going to be."

Dean frowned sort of angrily. " Uh yeah...thanks for that." Dean nodded. He waited til Andrew left the room to think on what he had said. The guy was probably right. Bobby stood a better chance of dodging some bullets in the judicial system if he steered clear of Dean, but then again...and Dean smiled to himself...Bobby had no intentions of ever being in the court room. That much Dean knew. Bail was meant to be jumped and Bobby would be long gone before they ever even figured out that he was going to run. Obviously, this Andrew buddy of his must have owed him something and didn't have a clue what Bobby meant to do with the favor that had been granted him. Dean knew though. He knew Bobby well enough to know that he was already three steps past his current confinement...with his steps planned out to perfection.

And still he sent this guy in to tell him something. Well Dean was sure that he was n't even going to get bail...and so Bobby was trying to give him some other out...but what. When they had spoken of his father near the river's edge they had been talking about a breakdown. A breakdown Dean had never known about...one that he was scared to think on, because he had never known his father to be weak...and that painted him in a whole new light. Still Dean could see where it could come from. You do this job long enough and anyone is bound to lose it eventually. Dean stared hard at the door his focus not really there as he put two and two together. Bobby wanted him to act nuts...Dean lulled his head back with a smile.

It made sense...the lock down ward was easier to escape from then the jail...so what the hey. He figured he could pull off a good crazy. "Like my man Jack." Dean whispered to himself with a smile. "Thanks Bobby." he said to no one in particular as he started his plan into action by using his pinky to press the nurses button.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Sam saw the sign for Hanover and frowned feeling a bit sleepy from the drugs that they were pumping into him from his prone position in the chopper with Leah still in his arms. "I thought you always blinked home." Sam whispered into her ear glad for the whir of the chopper to drown out any ease dropping.

"I usually do." Leah nodded against his chest. To anyone else it may have seemed like a lovers soft cooing to each other, Sam and Leah knew better though. "I'm telling you it was from the volume of psychic energy in the room...it messed with the blink." Leah ran her good arm up his chest feeling her breath hitch as they adjusted her broken arm. "Bugger..." She closed her eyes tightly waiting til the pain passed enough to speak again. "We're still near Huntington." Sam whispered. "Little town nearby called Hanover. We've got to be careful here."

"Yeah. Police..."

"Police are fine...I can handle the police...its FBI..particularly Hendrickson." Sam continued his voice so low that Leah could barely hear it let alone the flight medics.

"God I'm going to be sick." Leah grimaced as they shifted her arm again.

"Oh please no." Sam winced looking down to her as she fought the urge.

"Alright folks." The medics finally called as the chopper sat down atop the Hanover hospital roof. "We're going to have to separate you two now..." The leader of the group screamed over the noise and Sam looked past his feet to the gurneys being wheeled to the door of the chopper.

"NO!" they both called out in unison.

"Look well keep you in the same room and as close as we can but you have to go into separate beds." The leader gave in reluctantly. "I'll make sure that you stay together though...alright?"

Sam gave a reluctant smile. He couldn't believe how easy it had been to set that up. "Thank you sir." He said full heartedly.


	3. Chapter 3

1Chapter Three - Co-written by Leah

The hospital over head fluorescents danced in and out of her vision as the gurney raced down the white corridor with a flock of people now on either side of her. Leah looked past the nurse on her right and spotted Sam looking back at her from the other side of the hallway also surrounded by a multitude of people. "Female, approximately 24 years of age open fracture of the..." The voice fell to the back of her mind as she took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

"X-ray can take one!" Someone screamed from down the hallway.

"Send the guy...we're calling in the portable to O.R. 3." Came the reply. "Ma'am...I need to know if you're allergic to anything?" She could barely keep up with who was yelling at her now as her will to stay awake was waning. "Can you tell me you're name? Are you allergic to anything? Ma'am?"

Leah glanced at Sam quickly. "I'm not allergic to anything." Crap.. She needed a name...

Sam met Leah's eyes seeing her floundering for a name in her haze of consciousness. He was having a time of it too, but he and his brother were used to coming up with this sort of thing quickly. Leah was quick but she hadn't been doing this as long. Sam knew he had an insurance card in his pocket that bore the last name Miller and family. No first name on the card. So he could possibly get away with giving her a first name to work with. Sam went with the first thing that popped into his head. "Gerdie," Sam couldn't help himself as he used the nickname for Gertrude. "You alright?!"

"I'm ok, Cliffy! I promise!" She hollered out. Looking back as her fussy nurse, she shook her head slightly. "Sorry. I'm- I'm just so confused and worried! Is he going to be alright? I- I don't want to leave his side..." Leah was about to come unglued. 'Gertrude?' She thought. 'How lame!!'

'Let's see how he likes Clifford as a name..' Leah thought, keeping the scared, confused look upon her face as the nurse tried to take her vitals and kept talking at her.

"I'm sure he's going to be alright." One of the nurses cooed softly to her trying to keep her calm as obviously this woman was clearly heart broken over this endearing couple.

'Cliffy' Sam cut a glance back at her his mouth falling open. This was war.

"Sir, I need your name and wether you are allergic to anything...can you tell me what happened to your feet?" They were already cutting the gauze that Dean had wrapped them in off by the time the team leader from the chopper came running up.

Sam watched as he grabbed one of the doctors aside and the whole crew paused a second, beds slamming to a halt. Sam grimaced as his body shifted from the sudden jolt and answered the questions as quickly as possible. "I'm Clifford Miller and that's my wife Gertrude Miller. I'm not allergic to anything." He turned looking back at her with worry even though there was a bit of anger at this new found battle the two of them seemed to have adopted to keep themselves awake. This was as bad as getting into a prank war with Dean...well almost as bad...he wasn't sure what all she had in her arsenal.

"Ok bring another portable to O. R. 2 and open the side doors so they can see each other." The doctor called out as he returned from having spoken with the leader from the chopper. The leader from the chopper gave them a thumbs up as he made good on his promise to do everything in his power to keep them together.

Leah was looking from her 'Husband' back to the nurse as she tried to answer all their questions. "I'm Gertrude Miller and I have no known allergies.. I think it's broken, but I don't know.. It's just numb. Is it supposed to be numb?" Tears filled her eyes.

The whole caravan swung back into motion as the questions began to fly again. "Numb is normal sometimes in situations like this." The doctor answered her quickly moving the nurse out of the way so he could get a good look at her arm where the bone was sticking out of the skin. "Can you two tell us what happened to you?"

Sam jerked around him his bed as they all made a turn and both beds nearly skidded into the wall from the pace the surgery teams had set. He looked over to Leah worriedly. Had they really even decided on the story. This was the moment of truth...the reason they had to stay together. The reason all this crazy husband and wife stuff had been invented. God he was too busy fighting the pain going through his feet hard and fast from the turn to answer them and waited to gear Leah's response so he could go along with her.

Leah shook her head, playing up the confused angle. She didn't have a clue. "I-I'm not sure.. I have all these crazy images in my head, but I can't make sense of them. I've never been so confused in my life. What happened to us?" Leah asked incredulously, playing the 'Post traumatic stress' card, praying like hell it worked on these people.

"Ok call in the police. I think there is a team already here with that FBI team from that lighthouse." The doctor called to one of the nurses. He then looked back down to Leah. "They'll want to ask you a few questions when you get out of recovery, but you just try to stay calm for now. We're just going to take a few pictures and give you both something else to help you relax and get prepped for surgery."

Sam met Leah's eyes at the mention of the team from the lighthouse. What in the world would bring the whole team in ? Had Dean killed some people in his and Bobby's escape? Oh God what had they missed?

They were asking him for answers now and he shoved them away with tears of confusion in his eyes as he took Leah's lead. "I c...can't...not now. Gerdie?" He called out in tears hoping that she answered his tone...got him off the hook with the doctors.

Leah was inwardly cracking under the pressure. "Oh- Oh God.. Can't you see what you're doing?!" She yelled, trying to get them all distracted. "We can't even remember what happened! What if their questioning makes it worse? Clifford, I promise they're not going to hurt you! You're scaring him!"

Sam narrowed his eyes a moment before all attention shifted to him. Crap. She was good he'd give her that, but that meant...aw shit. He felt the needle penetrate his arm with a hiss of a breath between his lips then saw Leah begin to fade from his vision as his eyes rolled into the back of his head. He barely recalled the thought that penetrated his mind before he lost consciousness. Something was horribly wrong here.

Sam was wheeled into OR 2 as the door between the rooms was rolled open giving Leah a view of Sam and vise versa though he wasn't awake to take advantage of it at the moment. Leah was pulled into position in OR 3 as the doctors began to explain to her how she would remain conscious for her surgery with the aid of a block to a nerve in her shoulder.

There was a lot of x-raying and IV preparations and what seemed to take hours of endless torment before both sets of surgeons were ready to begin.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

4 hours later

Hendrickson watched as they removed the IV from his arm his mind racing a mile a minute. He knew that Dean was going to try something he just wasn't sure what yet and he wanted to be there for it when it happened so he made his way out into the hallway pulling his FBI coat back on over his shirt. He had just stepped past his door way when he heard the Nurse addressing one of the local officers.

Hendrickson curiously made his way into ear shot.

"They brought in a young couple in pretty bad shape from a medivac. It was the strangest thing. No one has seen anything like it. Not here anyway. They were on top of that tower crane out by the Parkview complex that is being built...Anyway. They're both in surgery, but it looks like they were accosted. The doctor said you would want to be brought up to speed. Probably want to question them when they get out of surgery." The nurse was going on. Hendrickson narrowed his eyes.

There was no way they had slipped past him and his men...and on top of a tower crane? Hendrickson was consumed with making sure though and the more he thought on it the more it seemed plausible to his clearly sinking sanity.

The Winchesters had to be stopped. They were monsters. They were killers...they were insane and a threat to everything and everyone they came into contact with. He had to make sure...he had to. He made his way toward the OR's quietly without checking in with anyone.

OR 2 had just finished and the surgery team was vacating the room making a call to have him moved to recovery. OR 3 was also clearing out and Hendrickson slipped in undetected taking in the prone figure of the man mostly covered with a blanket now...save for his freshly wrapped feet.

Hendrickson approached apprehensively to take in his face. "That's impossible." he breathed. He looked up to the open door and saw that Leah occupied the other table and was quite conscious.

Leah looked at the ceiling, but caught the sight of the FBI prick out of the corner of her eye. Oh God. What were they going to do now?! Seeing that the nurse was still in the room, Leah got an idea. 'Well... Nothing like trying, right?' She thought. Getting the nurse's attention, she whispered to her. "That man... He looks so familiar... and I think- Think he was with our attackers. I'm so scared... Please. Please get him away from here.. He might be crazy."

The nurse gave a quick glance upward and took in the man's face as she looked from him to Clifford Miller then back to Gertrude. "I'm sure it's nothing, Hun." The nurse began as she made her way into OR 2. "Sir can I help you?"

Hendrickson had to stop this now. He couldn't let Sam become a threat again.

He had thought this through...really he had. It would be better this way. He picked up a syringe out of view of the nurse and knocked a vial on its side to see the label that read "Morphine" and jabbed the needle into the netted top before pulling all the contents of the vial into the syringe.

"No ma'am. Can you tell me when these two might be available for questioning?" Hendrickson was obviously just trying to buy himself some time to do what he had so carefully planned...He didn't even care if the FBI supported his effort. He would have to disappear after this...well after this and Dean...maybe the girl and their friend too...but Dean and Sam had to die.

"Not until they are in recovery and responding well." The nurse replied quickly.

Hendrickson nodded. Of course...but Sam was never going to make it to recovery. Hendrickson saw that this nurse wasn't going to let him get away with this as she was now looking at him expectantly waiting for him to leave. "I think your patient needs you...I'll just be on my way." Hendrickson waited for her to turn her back...that's all he really needed. And of course she did. Hendrickson jammed the syringe into the IV bag above Sam's head and dispensed the liquid with a satisfied grin waiting to hear the monitor begin to go nuts before he dropped the syringe into his pocket and hurried out of the room.

Leah sat straight up, hearing the monitor go crazy. "Nurse! Nurse! My husband!" What the hell was going on now?! She struggled to get out of the blankets so she could check on him.

The nurse ran back into Leah's room as a host of doctors and nurses ran past Hendrickson into Sam's room all of them going into over time to try and work on the problem. The nurse grabbed the door between the rooms and slammed it shut cutting off Leah's view as she hurried to her side and tried to push her back into the bed. "It's just something with the anesthesia I'm sure." the nurse began instantly. "You have to calm down or you're going to hurt yourself."

Hendrickson paused outside OR 3 and looked in to see Leah in a tizzy. He smiled to himself meeting her eyes. She was next. He arched his eyes brows at her before he made his way down the hall. He would catch up with her in recovery just as soon as he checked on Dean.

"That man! He did something!" Leah tried to push past the nurse. "Follow that man!" She pointed at Hendrickson.

The nurse was surprised at the girl's strength. She pushed the button aside the bed and asked for help to subdue the poor woman as she looked to the FBI man she was indicating. "Honey, he's just here for questioning. He's not going to hurt either of you. Now Calm down! I need some help in here!"

Leah winced. Woo boy, this wasn't going to be pretty. Damn it all. She decked the nurse and jumped out of the bed towards Sam. She ran out, jerking the IV. With a yelp of pain, she pulled out the tubes and needles and went to Sam's side. This was the stupidest idea she'd ever had. Quickly pulling the IV drip from his arm, Leah pinched it off and held it above her head so none of the solution would leak out. Now they were going to throw her in the pen and she'd never be able to help Sam out.

The doctors and nurses made a mad dash for Leah as she ripped the IV from Sam's arm. Some of them were still working on him while the others began to chase her around the room. It was a race to end all other races.

"I can explain, I swear!" She screamed out as they chased her around the room. "That guy did something! You won't believe me, but I will NOT put my husband in danger from whatever he injected into this!" Even with a broken arm in a sling, Leah could move. Guess all those months of bouncing from place to place were paying off.

"Someone catch her dammit!" One of the doctors screamed out from the table where they were working on Sam as the door opened to two men bringing in a crash cart.

Then all at once the monitor suddenly flat lined.

"Clifford!" How she had managed to keep in character, she'll never know. But this was too important to screw up. She'd known the Winchester's... 9 Hours and already she counted them as friends. Which meant she'd go to hell and back for them. Besides, this was her job. "You've got to save him! That man did something to this! See, there's your proof!"

She held out the bag with the needle mark in it squeezing just hard enough for the liquid to make the hole visible. One of the doctors that had been chasing her paused. "Shit." he breathed actually listening to her. "What man?" He asked her as he turned back to those behind him. "His medication has been tampered with...get the Narcan if you can resuscitate him. Did you see what he gave him? What did the man look like? Did you know him?"

Leah paused. Hey, this was new. "The FBI guy or at least that's what he claimed to the nurse I laid out. Sorry about that, by the way. I don't know what the bottle was but he slipped the needle into his pocket. I think he's still around if you hurry!" Leah gave a pretty good description of his looks, urging them to hurry the hell up. She looked at Sam, fear evident in her eyes. "I don't know if I know him, but I sorta recognize his face! Please hurry!"

"Send some orderlies after the guy...None of the FBI personnel leave the hospital...and someone get her back into bed...and check on that nurse..." She received a glare from one of the other nurses as the doctor that had relayed her information approached her apprehensively.

"Just hand me the bag..."

"I've got a pulse." One of the nurses called out suddenly. "Tacky Sinus...but we've got something..."

The list of orders began to change immediately as the doctor looked from over his shoulder back to Leah. "See everything is going to be alright."

Relief filled her face as she finally calmed down. "He is? That's- Oh thank God. I-I'm really, really sorry about the nurse. I just-" She shook her head. "I just don't know what's happened and all this stuff is so totally crazy and I don't want to loose him." Leah said as she sobbed.


	4. Chapter 4

1Chapter Four

Dean looked to his empty IV drip. Ok...call button lit. No medication or condition to blame it on. How good are you? He asked himself as he looked to his bound wrists and ankles. He smiled to himself as the door slowly opened and a petite brunette peaked in. Dean lost the smile as soon as locked eyes with her and started screaming.

He screamed and he screamed...it wasn't hard to remember what it was like to be scared to death at times...to feign abject terror as he let the frustration of this last case help him vocalize his own pain and rage. The screams tore through him as he slammed his head back against the lone pillow they had provided. The nurse shoved the door open and quickly rushed inside.

"Mr. Winchester!" She gasped out all at once in horror of his thrashing and screaming.

"Get 'em off!" Dean called putting the added 'Umph' of shaking his head as if something was crawling over him.

"Oh My..." She ran back to the door. "I need some help in here..." The FBI guys were already walking into the room, guns drawn. But Dean knew he had to keep up with the show. He ignored them completely.

"What's wrong with him?" One of them asked shakily as he aimed at Dean. "Hey! Winchester! Come on knock it off!"

"They're all over me!" Dean screamed to the ceiling thrashing hard enough to shake the bed as he felt the painful pull against his bindings. "Get 'em off! Get 'em off" God he deserved an academy award if this paid off. He had racked his brain to find everything he could think of that constituted mental instability. Hallucinations - check. Anxiety - check. Screaming at invisible attackers - check. Ignoring personal health ( Guns pointed at him) for the before mentioned - check.

As doctors and nurses poured into the room Dean kept up the show with added vigor. This was quite a work out to be tied to a bed...not exactly the kind of workout he'd ever envisioned himself having if he was tied to a bed...but still. He was in good shape so he was able to keep this up indefinitely ...at least for the amount of time he needed.

"What the hell?" One of the doctors screamed as he motioned the FBI agents back. "Lets uh...get him some diazepam and then I want Psych up here ...as in five minutes ago." The doctor looked back at the agents. "Look put the guns away before someone gets hurt. He's tied to a damn bed for Christ's sake." The doctor was obviously unnerved as he had yet to indicate a dosage. "Oh...5mg...go ahead and put the orders down for a repeat in two hours if psych hasn't shown up yet. And call me if that doesn't seem to be enough...I want him conscious when psych gets up here."

As the orders were put the petite brunette with the name badge that bore "Bethany Anderson" Slowly dispensed the liquid into his IV tubing so as not to get close enough for him to get a hold of her.

Dean lulled his head back briefly as the last scream tore through him softer...Dammit Bobby...you didn't mention acting under the influence. Dean suddenly felt a slight burn flowing up his arm as the drugs instantly attacked his system. It was a good five seconds before he felt like he was on a wild bar night bender. The room began to dance out of his vision as a drug enduced calm began to settle in. This was going to add a whole other level to the whole pretending to be crazy thing. Dean kept it up as best as he could as the doctor and others began to filter out leaving him with only Nurse Anderson.

"Better?" She whispered as his screaming had quieted to a mere shaking of his head as he muttered softly his mantra, insisting that something was still crawling over him. Dean blinked a few times before he worked up that glassy eyed splendor that Sam had perfected.

"Help me...Please..." Dean whispered. "They're all over me..."

"It's going to be alright Mr. Winchester." She swallowed hard. He guessed she hadn't seen to many people in his condition from her reaction. And her sympathy could prove useful. "Look Why don't I go see if I can get them to let you're friend in here for a minute. Maybe he can talk to you a minute." She smiled softly.

Dean acted as if he hadn't heard her.

"I'll see what I can do." She insisted.

Ok so the drugs weren't the best thing in the world. Dean shook his head now to clear his doubling vision. God, what was he thinking. They'd probably just tie him down in the Psych ward to. Dean smiled softly to himself, actually this wasn't all that bad. He felt kinda nice. At least that would give him a chance to possibly get a hold of something he could used to free himself.

Dean lost his smile as he noticed Hendrickson in the hallway just past the door...looking in on him. The man stood there...talking to the doctor and looked less then thrilled to be hearing about Dean's deteriorating condition.

"Dean." A soft whisper caused a chill to race through him. Dean looked away from the door the calm from the Valium leaving him instantly. "Dean..." It came again.

"Wha..." Dean's eyes widened. Maybe it was just the drugs.

"Dean, hey." Sam's breath seemed to hit his neck as if he was whispering against his neck and Dean jumped feeling his presence there.

"God, Sammy." Dean whispered looking from Hendrickson to Sam in terror. "Get outta here before they see you." He said in disbelief that Sam would risk so much to sneak into his room. The man had to be Houdini. Dean let the terror of possibly letting his brother get caught mingle with the relief from knowing that he was alive.

"Where am I?" Sam asked furrowing his brow. That's when Dean noticed that Sam was one...walking as if that were no small chore with ten broken toes...and two in a hospital gown.

"In...my..." Dean trailed off looking to Hendrickson again. The man didn't seem to see Sam. "Sam...you better not be dead." He whispered.

"I'm not. I'm in recovery...well my body is. Look I came to warn you. Hendrickson has lost it. He just tried to kill me in surgery." Sam had been having one hell of an out of body experience to enjoy that show. He was glad that Leah had taken some initiative though. "And I don't think he's finished."

"Wait you're in the this hospital? Why didn't you two blink back to Texas?" Dean paused finally letting it sink in that Hendrickson had gone off the deep end. That bastard. Dean should have known the pansy couldn't take seeing the real monsters. I'll kill him...he thought to himself tearing his glare fall to Hendrickson a moment.

"Long story." Sam replied quickly. "Look just watch out for Hendrickson..." Sam phased out a little. "Whoa...think the drugs might be wearing off...Dean, there's something else..."

"What?" Dean gasped out what else could there be. Sam was walking around out of his body, Hendrickson had lost his mind, and Dean was tied to a damn bed.

"I think they're moving me. I heard the Doctor talking about it. They haven't said anything to the FBI about it. I don't know where I'm going though, just that the air lift is scheduled in ten minutes."

"Wait ten minutes...Sam I can't even..."

"Hey I'm just going for a little ride...to another hospital." Sam reassured him. "They may transfer Leah too...I don't know yet."

"Sam..."

"I'd of thought you'd be out of here already." Sam laughed softly his body fading momentarily again.

"I'm working on it." Dean smiled back.

"Have a plan?" Sam chuckled.

"Oh yeah...Academy award stuff here." Dean nodded. "Hey I'll find you...you hear me."

"I know." Sam nodded. "Just watch your back, Dean." Sam faded completely and Dean let out a breath in frustration. Why couldn't he catch a break?!

"Mr. Winchester..." Dean turned his head in time to see a nice white coat clad Doctor with a clip board walking into his room...closing the door behind him...disrupting his view of Hendrickson.

'Show time' Dean thought to himself.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Gordon tapped his finger against the window unit as he stared out the window into the hazy day ahead. He was listening. Quietly, He was taking it all in trying to find the angles, trying to find the sanity...the motivation. It was slowly dawning on him that the guy was nuts, but he could work with that. Gordon smiled with a soft chuckle as he turned to face Hendrickson. Sane or insane, at least their goals were the same - what was three extra people to kill - if it destroyed the devils chance at custom built soldiers.

"So I can count on your help?" Hendrickson whispered looking dangerously to Gordon who now was nodding as he turned fully to face the FBI agent.

"So long as you get me out of here, I'm your man." Gordon replied evenly. "I get Sam and the girl...you take care of the rest. As soon as you get confirmation the job is done - I disappear. Won't ever bother you again." Gordon continued.

"That's the kind of arrangements I like." Hendrickson smiled wickedly. Gordon returned the smile full heartedly. "I'll make the calls...you'll be out in an hour - under if I can work it. Sam and the girl were moved to a nearby specialty Hospital to some intensive care unit. They aren't releasing the information - even to us yet. I doubt there are too many around though. Sam shouldn't be a problem. I doubt he wakes back up. The girl - I don't know..."

"She won't be a problem." Gordon reassured him. "I've read her file." Gordon chuckled. " I'm surprised she hasn't killed herself." Gordon paused. "What about you?"

"I've got my end covered." Hendrickson nodded. "You just worry about yours." Gordon nodded as well.

"Then work your magic Mister and get me the hell out of here."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Perfect....

Lovely....

Oh Yeah....

You know, he knew it was wrong. To feel this damn good staring at the ceiling. Dean laughed again with a lazy sort of smile as he watched the little paint dots dripping from the ceiling dance around a little bit and he rolled a slight bit to avoid the dripping. Now what was it they had called that stuff in his IV? Oh hell like it mattered. Dean laughed again. He had pulled off crazy flawlessly and gotten rewarded with that damn shot...waiting for a transfer...Dean sighed contentedly. Oh yeah...oh this was his favorite part...the paint drips spun around faster and faster colliding together in rapid succession and then exploded in a brilliant burst getting a full hearted gut wrenching laugh that shook his whole body. Who knew the ceiling could be so much fun?

"Dean." He barely heard Bobby's voice and as he turned his head Dean jumped a little. It sure didn't look like Bobby. "Look they gave you an Antipsychotic...it's going to really mess with your system. Can you function like this?" God - Bobby's head looked like a giant red balloon that someone had drawn a smiley face on with a black sharpy. "Dean?"

"That's me." Dean breathed watching the balloon float up and down a bit against his disembodied neck...at least the string was attached...wouldn't want Bobby to lose his head.

"Jesus. Dean...look you're not crazy...you're on drugs. Now I need to know if you can function or not." Bobby's voice sort of growled and Dean scrunched his eyebrows together as the smiley mouth on the balloon turned to a sharp cornered jagged line and the eye brows angled downward toward the place where a nose should have been. The lack of nose was really bothering Dean as was the changing face of the balloon.

"I'm good." Dean nodded.

"I'm having trouble believing that." Bobby replied quickly. "If you had full mobility could you fire a gun?"

Dean thought about that a minute and it somehow went from firing a gun to firing a paint gun to the paint on the ceiling again. Dean laughed looking up at the ceiling again. "Shit." Bobby murmured. "Ok plan B...Dean, Sam needs help. We have to find him...right?"

Dean turned away from the paint with a frown. "He said they were moving him to another hospital - not far from here...helicopter. Must be in bad condition. Him and Leah both." Dean said as if on instinct. Sam seemed to override the rapid fire changing shifts in his attention momentarily.

"Ok you want to find him right?"

Dean smirked with a eyebrow arch. "Sh'yeah." He scoffed. 'Did he eve have to ask?'

"Hey Dean." Sam's voice sounded from the other side of the room and Dean jerked his head around watching as Sam's blue balloon head floated a bit higher up from his body as if the string was barely hanging into his neck.

"Sam?" Dean narrowed his eyes. "I thought you were waking up...what are you doing back here?"

"Uh about that." Sam started.

"Dean - you're hallucinating." Bobby pointed out.

"No I'm not - shut up." Dean said indignantly. "Uh about what, Sammy - don't start like that - You're alive right?!"

"Yeah." Sam nodded.

"Then what is there to talk about - go get the hell back in your body." Dean watched the balloon's sharpy face sort of crumple and felt his frustration building.

"I'm in a coma. Hendrickson's little attempt has me on life support at the moment. I've been trying to talk to you for the last hour but I don't think you could hear me til that stuff they gave you hit full force. Look I think he's going to try again and I don't think Leah is going to be able to help. I think he's going to try and kill her too. I mean I hate to ask, but I need you guys to help." Sam's balloon head bobbed up and down making Dean dizzy as he tried to take all that in.

"I need to know where you are - specifically."

"Did I mention I'm in a coma, Dude? I didn't exactly get the directions."

"Dean, Look I'm going to get you out of here but you're going to have to quit talking to your imaginary brother." Bobby was saying on the other side of the room. "And we have to get this stuff out of your system."

"No...you won't be able to see me." Sam shook his head.

Dean looked from Bobby's red balloon to Sam's blue one and then back to the paint dancing on the ceiling again and gave an insane chuckle.

"Dean!" All three seemed to call his name at once.

"Alright look shut up!" Dean finally breathed.

"Sam isn't imaginary, Bobby." Dean finally got out. "I think I can tell the difference between my hallucinations and reality. Last time I checked people didn't have balloons for heads. But I need this medicine to see him evidently. He's in a coma - out of body crap going on and Hendrickson put him in it. They just moved him and Leah and we have to find them before Hendrickson tries again." Dean said trying to sound serious as he forced himself to ignore the paint exploding overhead again.

Dammit it was his favorite part!!

"Alright...lets say I believe you." Bobby breathed.

"Lets say you don't and you get me the hell out of here anyway." Dean nodded finally in frustration. He had missed the paint exploding! It was like missing the fireworks at Disney World on your last freaking night there! "We can work the rest of it out later - just find out what they have me on."

Bobby slowly nodded and started undoing the straps that held Dean to the bed.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Leah wiped the tears from her eyes as she lay her head against his hand again and then felt like weeping again. She never wanted them to see her weak before. It seemed like it was important to them that the assistance they were getting come from some one who could handle the stress, but this was the last straw. She didn't know where Dean was...knew the FBI had near killed Sam and even being moved to this new hospital she didn't feel safe or like she knew what to do.

She had been with Sam through the entire flight, their relationship on display having solidified all chances of her being moved with him. And now they let her stay with him in Intensive care. They came and checked on her...never once asked her to go to her own bed. They gave her the space...the compassion and could see the sincerity of her true emotions misread as they may have been as far as context went. Still she did love him and was scared to death for him and for her and his brother.

Leah cried softly into the mattress holding tight to Sam's hand with her own as she continued to cry. She just needed to get it all out so she could figure out where to go from here. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you." She whispered to Sam. "I promised I'd help...and I'm going to." 


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Dean got to his feet and immediately felt his gravity limits tested as he fell into Bobby - hard. Bobby had to take a few steps back before he could brace himself appropriately and keep them both on their feet. Dean lost his smile as Bobby had to help him back to stand and Dean grabbed the bed rail palling. "It's the drugs." Bobby whispered listening for the guards from earlier. He let out a relieved breath when he realized they were still gone.

Bobby had noted that the two in front of Dean's room had taken note of Hendrickson's declining mental condition and the lack of over all security as well as the fact that Dean was now near incoherent and securely fixed to the bed. He had waited until the one with the smoking habit had let his need for a fix override all the other reason there and then as the two left for all of five minutes he had made his return.

"Ok Dean." Bobby wasn't happy about this and he knew Dean would say something about it later but he had to do something and wheeling Dean out of here like he was going to be a problem. Bobby made sure Dean had a good grip on the bed railing before moving forward to get him out of the hospital gown that they had him in. "I know on any give day you would kick my ass for this..." Bobby cocked his head to the side a bit with a quick exhale. "But today you need to be really open minded, because this ain't gonna be a cake walk." Bobby pulled Dean's gown off and went to a plastic bag he had placed in the chair beside the door. "Plus we really don't have time to argue."

Dean narrowed his eyes as his vision danced in and out in a blur. Sam was still talking at the other side of the room and Dean's attention was sort of divided between the two balloon people that he trusted.

"So I know the flight wasn't that long - we're talking thirty minutes tops." Sam was saying. "So if we get the math right and look over some maps that should narrow our options down."

Dean was listening he was really was but he was also having to concentrate really hard as Bobby was lifting one arm at a time over his head slipping on what felt like another hospital gown. "I thought you didn't want me to look like a patient." Dean whispered not really sure what Bobby was up to.

"You won't." Bobby insisted.

"Dean are you listening?" Sam asked in frustration.

"Sam, Yeah I heard you thirty minutes - maps - math - got it." Dean said looking over his shoulder to blue balloon head then back to Mr. Red. Bobby's missing nose was still bugging the ever loving shit out of him. Why would he had a smiley face with no nose? WHY?! Sam's blue balloon head had a nose! And Bobby was pulling up his other arm slipping it into the gown then wrenching the whole thing down over his boxers down to his ankles. "I'm talking to Bobby too though so I mean come on take turns you guys."

"Look I don't know when he's talking or if he's even real Dean." Bobby scoffed as he pulled some sort of hat out of the bag and started positioning it on Dean's head. Dean froze as he felt long hair tickle his face and suddenly looked down the length of his body to the deep blue dress that Bobby had placed on his person and then reached up to the wig feeling the long strands of brown hair that Bobby was trying to comb through to make it seem more convincing.

"NO! Hell No!" Dean suddenly proclaimed as Sam busted out laughing at his back. "Shut up Sam! Bobby this is not going to work for me."

"Do you want to get out of here or not?!" Bobby's red balloon head did not look happy...at all. The lines were all harsh and jagged again and those little stick eyebrows drawn down, but dammit he needed a nose! And yes he wanted to get out of here! He had to get out of here, but like this?! Dean's mouth fell open - closed - opened again. Closed as he heard Sam trying to stifle a laugh behind him. Dean closed his eyes taking in a deep breath and then exhaled just as sharply. "Dean?" Bobby was at the door quickly checking the hallway before jerking a wheel chair into the room. "That wasn't a trick question."

"Bastard." Dean whispered under his breath. And he swore if Sam didn't quit snickering behind him he was going to rearrange the drawings on his whopping blue head!

"Dean sit down and cover up with this." He tossed a blanket in his lap. "Keep your head tucked down against your chest so no one sees your face. I can't explain the damn beard you're growing right now and we don't have time for a shave." There was a pause and a sigh of frustration. "Jesus Dean it's not like every hunter hasn't had to do this at some point. We use disguises all the time this is just another guise and you can ditch it as soon as we get the hell out of here and get somewhere to lay low for a bit."

"You can't lay low for too long." Sam suddenly spoke up.

"Dammit I know that Sam." Dean got out through clenched teeth as he sank into the wheel chair and spread the blanket out over his lap letting it fall over the ankles that peeked out from under the dress and cover the hair that was poking out. Dean let his head fall forward and Bobby quickly started pulling the hair from the wig further into his face to hide any signs that would quickly give him away as a man. "Did you find out what they gave me? Sam says it's the only way I can see him."

"Dean we cannot keep you doped up like this...you'll be worthless." Bobby immediately protested.

"We need Sam to help us figure out where he is." Dean replied quickly. Though there was another reason he wanted to be able to see him. At least being able to see him meant that he knew he was still alive...it was a way to keep informed on Sam's condition, to know that Hendrickson hadn't gotten to him again. And Dean really wanted that reassurance right now. He needed it. Even if it meant momentarily being worthless, as Bobby put it.

"Dean I refuse to get you more of that shit to shoot up every few hours. You don't need it and you're talking to a hallucination as it is!" Bobby was furious at the prospect but Dean wasn't having it any other way.

"I wasn't asking permission." Dean replied with a growl. "All I need to know is what it's called. Hand me my chart."

Bobby's balloon shaped head wasn't defrosting Dean's demeanor at the moment as he looked ready to pop. "I doubt you can even read the damn thing and we don't have time for you to go searching." Bobby growled back as he grabbed the chart from the back of the door after wheeling Dean into the hallway. Bobby looked it over - found the med list and then closed it back and put it back on the back of the door. He then grabbed Dean's chair handles and started them moving quickly. "We can knock over a pharmacy tonight if after you come out of this you still really want to do it again." Bobby said all at once as they made their way onto an elevator.

"Bobby," Dean protested as he realized that meant he would lose sight of Sam for a few hours.

"Don't, If you are head strong insistent on doing this then you need me. Cause you can't function on that shit. So I want to make sure you're making the decision with full mental clarity and not on some whim induced by you're imaginary brother. That's the only way this is going to work." Bobby replied and Dean got quiet.

"He has a good point." Sam nodded. "I mean if it was me I'd probably make you do the same thing." Sam had crosses his arms across his chest and was leaned against the back of the elevator. "If I even offered to help at all."

"Yeah well you're stubborn as hell." Dean was saying to both Sam and Bobby.

"And you're an ungrateful prick sometimes," Bobby replied evenly as the elevator dinged.

"He's right about that." Sam nodded pushing off the back of the elevator. He then followed behind them. Sam watched as Dean remained quiet stewing in his own dissatisfaction with the situation he found himself in. "You know blue's a nice color on you."

"Sammy, shut the hell up." Dean growled.

"Dean, quit talking til we get free and clear. You don't sound like a girl." Bobby got out between clenched teeth. Dean gave a humph as Sam cracked up again. "Sam go check on Leah if you can move around that much and let us know how you both are." Bobby ordered as he watched Dean tense in the chair.

"Tell I'm going...I'll meet you guys in the truck - maybe I can find the hospital name on something in my cubicle." Sam nodded.

"He's going." Dean whispered out while he watched Sam's long legs disappear from his shaded line of sight.

"Good." Bobby breathed.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Gordon shifted his weight behind the wheel as he pulled into the Hospital Parking lot and looked over his wheel at the towering building with a growing smile. Hendrickson had come through with flying colors and Gordon had quickly put together where after having free reign to 'question' one of the surgeons not so long ago. He tucked a gun from his glove box into the waist line of his pants as he climbed from the vehicle and started for the hospital entrance. "Easy as pie." he muttered under his breath slipping past security and making his way to the stairwell. ICU was on the second floor. And this was entirely too easy.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Leah leaned back in her chair with a sigh as she sipped in her coffee. She watched the lazy lull of the monitors as her eyes drooped and then looked to Sam's face and the protruding hard tubing that extended from his open mouth. This wasn't right. Everything about it seemed wrong. She should have been able to do something. She had never blinked and felt so helpless in her entire life. And it was driving her nuts. She rose to her feet as she adjusted her casted arm in the sling and then paced around the cubicle a bit.

"You should be in bed." Sam whispered watching her pace. She didn't give any indication that she had heard him as she continued in her semi circular state moving about. Sam looked over the contents of the hospital room letting his head fall guiltily a moment. She was doing way more then she had to. She could have just cut and run - called it over and done with and found a car...headed out of here. "You should leave." He whispered next to her ear wishing she could hear him. She bristled a bit and Sam looked to her exposed good arm and the goose flesh that began to crop up as her whole body shivered her eyes closing a brief second. "Did you hear me?" Sam asked in wonder.

"I don't know." She whispered and when her eyes opened tears lined them. "God what am I doing? There has to be something else I can do." She clenched her fist in frustration after setting her coffee aside.

Sam realized that she was talking to herself and he settled back with a sigh as he continued his search for the name of the hospital. He was coming up empty though and was confounded by that. Though in his present situation it made it difficult to focus on certain things. He could see a few labels but they were so blurry that he couldn't read them. "What I wouldn't give for the name of this place." he finally whispered to himself.

"Trenton Lake General." Leah said almost on cue.

Sam whirled on her and almost though she was looking right at him, but her gaze shifted slightly as she looked back to his body resting in the bed. "Leah?" Sam narrowed his eyes a moment.

"I am so far from home." Leah shook her head. "But you know it's not the first time." She smiled at his prone figure as she ran a finger over one of the labels on a monitor that he had been unable to read before she went on. She smiled as she sank onto the side of his bed and she pushed his hair from his face. "I know you'd probably tell me it was time to go, but I can't yet. I feel like there is something I still need to do."

Sam felt his breath hitch in his chest. It was as if on some level she knew what he had been saying, but she had internalized it all. Sam walked over and sat down in front of her. "You don't have to do anything else. You've done so much already. You saved my life...and I have people on their way to help. You can go - you can get to safety - away from all this." Sam tried to breach through the veil of consciousness and watched as she shook her head before leaning over and kissing his forehead where she had smoothed the hair out of the way.

"That's not how this works, Sam. I don't leave anyone behind." She said softly going on as if she was reaffirming her before mentioned statement of commitment to herself and his sleeping figure. "I haven't finished what I came here to do, even if I don't know what that is."

"You're as stubborn as any Winchester." Sam said with a shake of his head in exasperation.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Leah pulled her knees up to her chest and watched Sam's chest rise and fall on it's own scared to move from her chair. She had been sitting there for five minutes just watching. She didn't want to miss it should something happen and he quit breathing again. The ventilator had been out for the entire five minutes and the nurse and doctors had left saying that he was breathing fine on his own now. They didn't know when he would wake, but at least he was breathing on his own. Leah was still scared though. They had practically shut ICU down taking him off the damn vent. They had almost lost him once and then all of a sudden he started breathing. They had been just about to put him back on the ventilator when that happened.

Now she was paranoid. Maybe because it was the first time no medical professionals were in the room since then and she was scared if she shifted the wrong way that he would - just stop. "Hey I'm still here." There was a soft breeze and she shivered.

Sam paced in front of her almost laughing at how tense she was. "It's alright." He knew he needed to get back to Dean and Bobby, but he had his doubts as to whether Dean could even see him now as it had been a while since he'd had the shot and Bobby was trying to get his system clean. And Leah didn't look like she was holding up to well.

"Sam, you better not die." She whispered over her knees at him, still watching his chest rise and fall slowly. "I mean it. I'll never forgive you, if you die on me."

"I don't plan to." Sam laughed at her softly.

"You know I lied a lot." She whispered to him letting her forehead touch her knees to force his gaze from his chest courageously a moment.

"About what?" Sam sank to sit on the arm of the chair next to her and looked down at her curiously.

"I was scared to death most of the time we were working the light house thing." She replied as if answering the question. "I'm not so full of myself and I don't have all the answers, and I don't know why I thought I had to impress you guys. I just didn't want you to know that I didn't know what I was doing. And I haven't ever seen anything like this and I don't know what I'm doing or why I do what I do...I..." She broke off not sure where she was even going with that. "God I'm tired." She closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead against the scrub bottoms hissing in a breath.

"You could go to sleep." Sam wished his hand wouldn't go right through her.

"You might quit breathing." She replied.

"Can you hear me?" Sam asked again this time a little louder then he had before.

"Sometimes I think I hear your voice, But I think it's just my imagination - really." She whispered even softer her voice carrying the tears that she had hidden as she hid her face from view of the room.

Sam straightened rigidly. "No you're not imagining it. I'm here!" Sam rushed out quickly. He noticed that she wrapped her arms around her more protectively as she shivered harder. Was he doing that? "Leah?"

She suddenly looked up as the curtain shifted and Gordon came into view. Leah turned three shades of white as she looked up at the sound of the curtains rustling. "Oh God." She looked to Sam seeing his chest rising and falling and back to Gordon and then without even stopping to think she jumped to her feet and rushed to get between Sam's body and Gordon. Gordon was already reaching behind him though bringing the gun into view as his face changed to a sort of grizzly snarl. "Don't hurt him." Leah got out in a rush.

"I'm going to do more then that." Gordon promised. "Get out of the way and I'll make sure you walk though - this isn't about you."

"Leah get out of here - go get help...do something - you can't stop a bullet!" Sam called out frantically.

Leah shook her head as Gordon took aim and cocked the gun back. "I'm not one for begging." Gordon arched an eyebrow as if to make his point. Leah swallowed thickly then released Sam's bed rail and closed her eyes, her body shivering.

"Jesus Christ, Leah just get out of the way." Sam suddenly screamed. Leah did the exact opposite she stepped forward until the gun rested against her chest as tears fell across her cheeks. "Leah..." Sam broke off. And she reached slowly up to touch Gordon with her good hand...sam felt his heart skipping his chest as he watched them both disappear. "No...no...no..." Sam whirled around. Dammit she had blinked...she had Blinked Gordon away and...dammit. What the hell was she thinking?! Good Lord where did she take him? He thought she couldn't control the things? What was going on?!

"Dammit!" Sam shifted himself as well and landed next to Dean in Bobby's truck cab. Dean's head rested against the door of the truck cab his wig askew his dress kicked up over his left knee where he had been scratching and he was passed out cold - drool dribbling down the side of the door like someone had turned on a faucet.

"Dean!" Dean jumped ten feet and slammed his head into the ceiling of the truck coming down hard in his seat. He caught himself and looked around frantically. "Wha...what..." He asked in a panic.

"I didn't say anything." Bobby said watching him in wonder.

"Dean Gordon is...was at the hospital - Leah just blinked him out of there He had a gun to her chest though I mean she could be dead right now! Dean!"

"I swear I heard you yell my name - that was not cool Bobby." Dean said softer as he lay his head back down against the door.

"I told you I didn't say anything." Bobby shook his head. He would give anything to get rid of the nutty Winchester at the moment. Dean was about to drive Bobby nuts as well...hell Bobby was thinking about knocking over a pharmacy for himself at the rate they were going - though it would probably be easier to just run by a liquor store.

"Yeah yeah - mess with the medicated man." Dean bit back.

"Dean I didn't say anything to you - you're probably hearing things." Bobby said through clenched teeth.

"Whatever - you just like to get me all riled up." Dean retaliated.

"I swear you and your father...if I had some f*cking buck shot..." Bobby's voice fell as he mumbled angrily and held tight to the steering wheel.

"Dean that was me!" Sam called as he waved his hand in front of his brothers face and realized that he couldn't see or hear him any more. God! Sam materialized in his cubicle and paced back and forth nervously. She wasn't back yet- with or without Gordon.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Leah felt the blink as soon as she touched Gordon's arm. She gasped though as she suddenly felt his presence falling away from her and she was slung to the side as the sound of a gun shot sounded dangerously close to her but was muffled slightly by the wind as she started falling. She kicked off Gordon feeling the bullet hit her bad arm near the shoulder and watched in horror as he plummeted away from her back first toward the ground. Gordon seemed realize just how much trouble he was in as soon as he moved away from her and he turned to see how far he had to fall - it was far. Leah closed her eyes and suddenly was slamming into the floor of the cubicle. She lay there...dazed a moment then felt the sticky pool of blood beginning to form under her. Crud...oh crud. She had been shot...shot and it hurt like hell and oh shit...

Leah pushed herself up cursing as she held her arm still and nearly fell into Sam's bed. Oh God they knew where they were...Leah sank onto the bed and was about to push the call button to get her some help when just as she touched Sam's hand she felt another blink beginning. Hadn't all this stopped?! God.

Leah climbed further onto the bed and held onto Sam as if that was going to keep her from blinking - but it didn't.

Sam watched in horror as Leah blinked back into the room and then hit the floor spattering blood as she did it. "Oh my God." Sam breathed unable to see the wound until she rose to her feet frantically trying to get to him to check and see that he was still breathing. And then Sam watched in wonder as she practically straddled him on the bed and the both of them - her and his body disappeared.

"Wha...Leah!" Sam felt a tug and closed his eyes following along. Blinking must have been one hell of a trip because this materializing thing was unreal. He suddenly was standing in a small room watching a man he didn't know get a whole tray of paints ready along with a needle all while he smoked a cigarette and hummed to himself. The unknown man was just turning around tray in hand toward a chair when Sam watched his body land in the laid out chair with Leah on top of him.

The man promptly dropped the tray, his mouth falling open as he nearly lost the cigarette. "Leah?" The guy asked and Sam honestly felt a pang of jealously that this guy knew her, and he had to wonder how.

Leah was speechless a moment as she shifted her weight against Sam's body and then acclimated herself to her surroundings while simultaneously checking to see if Sam was still breathing. "Jesus." She breathed then looked up to the unknown man and whispered. "Vinnie?"


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Vincent didn't pay the dropped paint tray a second thought as Leah and her mysterious friend appeared out of the blue in his chair. He walked two paces and locked the door as she folded herself backwards and pried herself off Sam's body long enough to groan into his soft flesh and then fall into him due to the gun shot wound to her shoulder.

On a normal day - which was never normal - Leah would have considered dropping into her night job as kinda well normal...but today - ha...she was bleeding all over the place - had been missing for several days and well this was anything but normal.

"Holy shit," Vincent was saying over and over as he locked the door. "What the hell happened?" Had he been having some weirdo acid flashback and completely missed her arrival - what the hell?

Her " You don't want to know." wasn't exactly reassuring. Vincent went to a drawer and yanked it open pulling a first aid kit out. "Shit...shit..."

"Yeah I could think of a few other choice words." Leah breathed slumping into her unconscious friend who was sporting a hospital gown.

"What the hell happened?" Vincent was asking as he yanked open the kit and gave her a glance over his shoulder, the cigarette still dangling out of his mouth.

"I got shot, you - asshole." Leah got out through clenched teeth.

Sam chuckled to himself finally listening to the two of them. He supposed he was somewhat happy that she was talking to him as if she hated him. Her pain though could have been misconstrued as hate for now. Sam didn't know for sure what he was so upset about at the moment...it wasn't as if he had expressed an interest in her - not for anything more then friendship - despite their ploy to keep the two of them together. And well his body was situated precariously under hers in a tattoo parlor at the moment...Sam frowned.

"I think I noticed." Vincent scoffed flicking the ashes off the end of his cigarette as he whirled around with a set of tweezers and a whole host of other goodies on another freshly prepared tray.

"Good for you." Leah sighed and Sam didn't miss the long hard look she gave his own body...his whole body, before turning her gaze back to Vincent. He watched her push his hair back again as Vincent set the tray down and scooted a chair up next to her.

"You want to move you're friend?" Vincent motioned to Sam's body.

"He's staying right where he is." Leah replied quickly as she was worming her way out of her shirt unabashed. Sam almost turned around, but realized that it didn't matter - hell she had already snuggled up to him in the buff. Sam kinda wished he'd been coherent for that right about now. "Look can you just get this bullet out of me and get us a ride back to my apartment?" Leah slid the sling off and sat shirtless yet still not embarrassed.

"You know you don't ask for much." Vincent scoffed as he slid up next to her.

"Never do." She smiled brightly back at him. She looked back down to Sam softly though her smile fading slightly and Sam noticed the concern that lined her brow. He narrowed his eyes in wonder as her face shifted again and she looked back to Vincent trying to hide the worry.

"Yeah. Right." Vincent nodded. "I'd ask questions, but I know better."

Sam flinched as she leaned forward and kissed Vincent on the cheek. Vincent froze. "Make my job easier and stay where you are...just be still." Sam slumped into a seat and watched as she frowned slightly. He realized that Vincent was interested and that Leah wasn't despite her touchy kissy nature.

Maybe there was hope...sort of...God she was hard to figure out. Sam would have shifted back to Dean, but well he didn't want to watch him drool and Bobby contemplate murder when he could sit with Leah and his body.

That's what he kept telling himself anyway.

Sam winced as Leah placed one hand on his body's chest beneath her seemingly trying to brace herself. She closed her eyes. "Look just get the damn thing out." She whispered.

"Yes Ma'am." Vincent replied as he scooted even closer.

Leah felt Sam's heartbeat beneath her hand bringing her some measure of comfort as Vincent went to digging into her shoulder. Sam flinched for her as he saw the pain that wavered through her features. She let out a cut off cry trying to hold back the scream as tears made it past her defenses and rolled down her cheeks. "Want some Whiskey?"

"Hell yes." She growled. Why hadn't she thought of that? Oh yeah she was trying to make sure Sam was still breathing...trying to stay awake...She exhaled in relief when Vincent stopped long enough to bring her the bottle back. "Down it." He ordered thrusting it into her hand. And she did. She turned the bottle up and drank deeply before handing it back to Vincent and placing her hand back on Sam's chest.

Sam noticed she was careful to place it over his heart and he felt a tug at the corners of his mouth. She was still trying to keep tabs - Sam shook his head - while the guy was digging a bullet out of her.

"So I take it you're not going to be in tonight." Vincent's idle chit chat seemed to be annoying her to no end. She roughly shook her head biting back another scream. "You want to tell me what happened to you're arm?"

She glared back at him. "Never mind...just wondering if it's going to effect you're work."  
"It won't." She got out between clenched teeth.

"That's good." Vincent sighed deeply before going back to digging. Leah bit into her lip again and wrapped her hand around Sam's as if it would help. Vincent dug deeper grunting in concentration then let out an excited "Aha" as he pulled the bullet out.

She screamed out a not so nice four letter word and got Vincent's eyes combing over her again before he swabbed the whole thing with a disinfectant and pushed a piece of gauze in place so hard that she nearly lost consciousness. "Dammit "

Vincent grabbed a gauze wrap and wound it around her arm tying it off tightly. Leah gave him a stifled grunt as she slammed her good hand down into Sam's stomach without thinking about it. Leah quickly looked down at Sam and gasped as the out of body Sam watched the hit with concern. "Hey watch it." Sam called though he knew no one would hear him.

"I'm sorry, Sammy." She whispered.

"Sammy is it?" Vincent picked up the name instantly. "So how did you find this one and did he get you shot?" Vincent grabbed up the tray and took it over to the counter next to the sink along the far wall. "He didn't shoot you did he?"

"I thought you weren't going to ask." Leah glared up at him.

"Yeah well - I guess as a boss I kinda want to know what some of my employees are doing. As a friend..." He turned and met her eyes. "Come on you show up out of no where with a coma patient and a bullet in you're arm. You gotta tell me something."

Leah shook her head in disbelief as she climbed to her feet dizzily. "Nope...not today. So how about that ride? And you think Matt can move Sammy for me?" Leah slipped back into her shirt gingerly and then replaced the sling.

"You are a piece of work." Vincent huffed.

"I've been called worse." Leah sighed then looked to him as if to ask 'well?'

Sam watched them in disbelief getting to his feet. The guy was really going to do it. He could tell already. Sam shook his head at Leah with a smile. "I'll second that." He whispered.

"I bet." Leah smiled suddenly - her voice so low he barely caught it and Vincent didn't even seem to hear her. Sam realized all at once that she had heard him.

"Matt!" Vincent screamed out as he walked to the door and unlocked it - opening it up to the rest of the lobby. "I need some help in here." Vincent turned around and looked to Leah as he heard Matt coming down the hall. "I'll pull the car around back."

"Thanks Vinnie." Leah said sincerely at last. Vincent simply nodded as he slipped out the door.

Half an hour latter Leah walked into her apartment and looked behind her to Vincent who had chivalrously decided to carry Sam up the stairs to her apartment. "Could you take him to the bedroom?"

Vincent glanced up and let his mouth fall open. "Sure - anything else you want?" He stomped back there and let Sam's body fall roughly to the bed.

"Careful with him." Leah warned following behind. "And Yeah I need you to let me have about a week off if not longer. "Maybe grab me a pizza before you run back to the shop." She wasn't joking.

Vincent rose to his feet his stance with hands on hips slightly offset by all the leather he was wearing and the various piercings. He didn't look so tough though starring at her in utter shock...still seeming to be about to fulfill her every request.

Sam stepped into the doorway to listen to the exchange and couldn't help but laugh. "Man this guy really has it bad. You should cut him a break, Leah."

"What do you want on it?" Vincent finally growled.

"If I didn't know better I'd say you had some latent mind control going on here." Sam chuckled.

"Pepperoni and olives." Leah sighed as she sank down on the bed next to Sam. She looked up to Vincent though and smiled. "You're an angel, Hun."

"Yeah...and you're an evil bitch." Vincent replied bitterly rolling his eyes. "I'll be back in ten."

"Can't we have normal nick names?! Evil bitch just doesn't ring well with me...and thanks!" Leah called at his retreating form. He flipped her off before he walked out the door and she simply laughed at him.

Once the front door closed though her mask of confidence and unwavering calm shifted to worry and glassed over tearful eyes. Her gaze shifted to Sam's form on the bed. "Jesus, Sam." She breathed.

"Hey I'm still alive at least." Sam replied sitting down next to her on the bed. He wished he could offer her some measure of comfort at that moment but as his hand went through her he knew it was nothing but a wish.

"There is that." She chuckled softly as she wiped at her eyes.

"You can hear me can't you?" Sam never actually met her gaze as she looked only to his form on the bed.

"Yeah. You weren't coming through very clear until the tattoo parlor." She said softly. "I just didn't want Vincent to think I was nuts on top of everything else."

"Can you see me?" Sam was pretty sure she couldn't.

"I'm looking at you now, Sam." Leah was referring to his body on the bed now. "Not that it's doing much good.

"No I'm not there...I sitting right beside you...on the bed...I'm having some kind of out of body experience." Sam said excitedly. God if she could hear him this was going to make everything so much easier. "Leah listen I need you to call Dean! You have to tell him where we are...he and Bobby are on the road right now."

Leah nodded too slowly and Sam suddenly noticed how heavy her eyes were. "Leah?"

"I'll do...that." She trailed off on the last word and suddenly pitched forward over his body out cold.

"Oh God." Sam gasped. Sam got to his feet feeling helpless as he watched the blood begin to soak into her bandage wrapped around her upper arm. "No...No" He breathed. A few minutes later he was never more happy to see anyone in his life - when Vincent walked into the apartment. He was setting the pizza down...muttering about how horrible she was and then finally noticed the calm quiet in the apartment.

Vincent paused in the living room. "Leah?" Vincent called. Come on - come on Sam was right there begging him to hear him telling him she was in trouble. "Leah?" Vincent made his way to the bedroom He stopped cold in the doorway and then hurried forward. " Oh shit...I knew you needed to go to the hospital. Man you're friend does too...Jesus woman - you always have to make things difficult..." He picked up the phone and dialed 911.

Sam wasn't sure that was a good idea, in fact he knew it wasn't especially if Vincent signed her in under her real name. "Oh shit." Sam whispered and then closed his eyes cursing again before he landed between Bobby and Dean in the truck again. Dean was laughed hysterically as Bobby screamed a wave of profanity that would make a sailor blush. Great...Sam looked from one to the other frantically. God, he had to get Dean to see him - to hear him or he and Leah were going to get handed to Hendrickson on a silver platter. 


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

"_He's comin' too."_

Sam felt a wave of white hot agony roll through his body - mirrored by a groan as he shifted as best he could. Sounds and sensations seemed too peaked and intense. His hearing going in and out like the world was crackling through a broken radio...heat and cold seemed to come and go leaving him trembling one moment and soaked in a feverish sweat the next.

He tried to open his eyes but clenched them shut with a hiss when the dim lights stung causing the instinctive recoil that started the rolling wave of agony all over again. Sam had just rolled to his right side, when the grease and paint thinner grated his sense of smell. He scrunched his nose as a hand grabbed him by the shoulder and shoved him back onto his back. "_Hold him...he shouldn't be moving." _

"You could be gentle." A weak female voice interjected.

"You got no say in this." Someone else replied immediately.

"The hell I don't. You almost sent me straight to jail...without even passing go...I think I get a say." She replied with a tremor to her voice before she broke down coughing.

"Alright - alright - just take it easy. Manny hows..."

"She alright...so long as she quits moving herself." Another male voice called out quite frustrated.

"How is he?" She asked softly a moment later when the coughing subsided.

Sam opened his eyes again - this time blinking rapidly to try and dull the pain until he could keep them open long enough to take in his surroundings. Vincent met his eyes as soon as he could hold them open long enough to see his tower of a figure - standing over him. "I think he'll make it."

Vincent's lips thinned into a terse line of disdain as he said it...his eyes betraying just how unhappy he was to lay eyes on his no conscious form. "Who are you, Buddy?"

"I already told you." Leah replied then grimaced and tried to shew the guy working on her shoulder away. He pushed her hands aside easily though.

"Hold still, Lele."

"I'm asking him, Leah." Vincent didn't look away from Sam as if he'd be able to tell if he was lying from eye contact.

"Sam." Sam's throat tightened up on him - feeling like he had been drinking sandy water for three days and the sand had finally baked onto the lining of tissue. "Is she going to be alright?"

"She'll live." Manny looked up from where he was working on he shoulder and then back to Sam. "Same as you - but you both need rest and no moving around...this place's safe...no one in or out...gonna be hard for whoever is looking to find you here." Sam nodded softly...in understanding.

Still he had so many questions.

"Weren't you calling 911?" Sam asked Vincent quietly. He gave the garage break room a once over with a sigh...taking in the fact that he was stretched out on one broken down table while Leah was occupying the other.

Vincent blanched. "How did you..."

"I guess it's true about what they say...you can hear what's going on when your that deep under." Sam replied easily. "I just...I remember you calling 911."

"Yeah, I panicked...took me a minute to realize that there had to be a valid reason for Leah not to want to go to a hospital. She's not scared of them." Vincent replied - seemingly finding comfort in the only real world answer that Sam could find to give him. "I thought better of making the call and went ahead and called a friend to help me out."

"Thanks for that." Sam said gratefully - feeling a load taken from his shoulders.

"I didn't do it for you...you just came along." Vincent debunked any attempt at making friends right then and there and Sam gave a nod of understanding.

"I need to get a hold of my brother...tell him where we are."

"Well you're going to have to wait...ain't no phone here and we got no reception for a cell...when I said you were safe...it's only because we're in the middle of no where...cut off...that's the way I like it." Manny called over Leah's grunt of pain from whatever it was that he was doing to her shoulder.

Sam closed his eyes wearily then tried to sit up...he couldn't take that for an answer...he had to find a way to get a hold of Dean. His brother was convinced that he had to dope himself up so that he could see him...God...

"Didn't you hear me...you need to rest...stop moving." Manny said to Sam, as Leah stifled another cry - clutching the sides of the table beneath her.

"You don't understand...I have to find a way..."

"Not today you don't." Vincent shoved Sam back against the table - getting a weakened groan from him.

Dean awoke with a start squinting hard against the sun light that filtered in through the windshield. "Whoa...uh..." Bobby was driving...singing along with the radio. And for the life of him the last thing that Dean could remember was laying in the hospital...everything got fuzzy after that...except for a flash of balloons...and dresses...and Hendrickson...a pharmacy... Tiny snippets of fractured memories...and the sound of his own laughter and Bobby cussing a blue streak to cinch it all together.

"Bobby?" Dean asked dryly - flicking his tongue off the roof of his mouth several times in the interim as he tried to get the cottony feeling to go away.

"Welcome back." Bobby said entirely too cheerfully for Dean to feel comfortable.

"Uh yeah...what happened?"

"Well I can tell you what didn't happen." Bobby smiled. "We didn't find Sam and Leah...you didn't see Sam when you doped yourself up again...and we didn't get picked up by the FBI or the cops...so I'd say...that today was a good day...for now."

Dean looked over at Bobby in confusion. "Well your in a good mood."

Bobby glanced at him his smile broadening then looked back to the road. "Yeah, you've been asleep for 24 hours...finally got some peace and quiet."

"24 hours?!" Dean bristled at the thought of losing so much time. "Wait - I doped up again? That stuff that helped me see Sam...And I didn't see him?"

"I'm telling you, You were hallucinating the whole time..."

"No...no...I wasn't..."

"Dean..."

"Bobby, he was here! If I didn't see him...then he must of...he...he must've woken up." Dean said it shakily and Bobby's smile melted from his face as he realized Dean's other fear...the alternative to Sam waking up. Dean opened the glove box frantically and pulled out Bobby's cell phone quickly checking it for missed calls...messages.

"He hasn't called Dean."

"That's just because he knows that they may be monitoring your cell... we need to get some place...that he would know to...some place."

Bobby made a turn off the residential street into a familiar driveway. "Some place he knows to try and contact you?" Bobby asked...Dean was nodding slowly as he looked to see the front door opening...watched thankfully as Missouri made her way out onto the front porch.

"Thanks Bobby." Dean whispered worriedly - distantly.

"No Problem." Bobby replied with a worried glance from Dean to Missouri. "If anyone can help us find Sam...it's Missouri."

"I know." Dean nodded, but the dread and fear still clung to his heart.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Dean walked out of the kitchen with a twosome of chocolate chip cookies wrapped in a napkin, not sure that he could share in the indulgence with Sam so far away...at least it felt that way...Not knowing was as good as assuming he was halfway around the world...and at least if he was...then maybe he was out of FBI jurisdiction.

Dean sagged into the chair at the table where his glass of water sat. Missouri wasn't giving him near anything to drink save water - trying to flush the rest of the drugs out of his system. Dean sighed and glanced up at the sound of laughter from the living room. He ignored it at first, letting his cookies sit a moment as he ran a hand down his face - thinking about Sam - about Leah - about the yellow eyed demons experiment at the light house.

How many other experiments were there? Had he tried this one again? Before? The plague was bad enough - if the same demon was even behind it - didn't matter - demons seemed to like to experiment. If only he could figure out how to find some patterns. Dean raised an eyebrow and made his way to the phone. He dialed into the Road house and waited patiently for Ash to come to the phone.

"What can I do you for?" Came a slurred response to the waiting time Dean put in. Dean looked over his shoulder at another fit of laughter - wondering what in the world they were watching in there. Missouri had already opened herself wide open and hadn't been able to find Sam yet...so Dean could only figure that her and Bobby were killing time watching TV...whatever...he had another idea.

"Ash, You remember how you were talking about running a search for certain signs that foreshadowed where the yellow eyed guy was going to be?" Dean asked quietly - trying not to attract too much attention to himself as he let Missouri and Bobby have their fun.

"Surededo do." Ash almost sang.

"Oook." Dean furrowed his brows. " Do you think you can run a similar one that mimics the signs that occurred near the time that the victims of the lighthouse massacre disappeared?"

"Surededo do." Ash sang out again.

"That is a yes - right?" Dean arched another lone eyebrow - wondering why Ash had to be so weird.

"Sure de is, Deany."

"It's Dean...and thanks...you can reach me at Missouri Mosely's."

"Alrighty. Have it for ya in a Jiffy."

"Uh....thanks."

Dean hung up the phone and grabbed the cookies off the table as he made his way into the living room doorway. He paused there trying to make out the dark figures on the screen. "What are we watch..." Dean broke off realizing exactly what it was.

The cookies fell to the floor as Dean moved forward in a hurry and fumbled with the VCR. Missouri and Bobby were cracking up even harder now. Dean ripped the tape from the VCR and looked at the Pharmacy sticker on the label revealing that it was a security tape from last night... at around 3:00 in the morning. God he was going to burn the tape...BURN IT!

"Alright alright...you're even." Dean swore at Bobby as he got to his feet angrily and stormed out of the living room.

"Aw come on Dean!" Bobby called as Dean barreled through the kitchen and out the back door. He tossed the tape onto the concrete and slammed a foot into it breaking black plastic off in bits that flew across the grass.

"You sent me in there like that?" Dean asked in a hushed growl - trying not to disturb the neighbors.

Bobby's smile was slowly fading. "Hey...I was doing you a favor...and myself. They don't have any red handed evidence on me...and no one is going to recognize you in that tape!"

"Yeah I was in a friggin dress! And a wig!" Dean seethed as he gave the tape another good stomp. "Why did you steal it if no one was going to recognize me?"

"I didn't - you did." Bobby sighed. Dean paused a moment. "You uh - wanted to see the hot chick behind the counter again."

Dean's furrow grew even more furrowed as he looked from Bobby to the tape and back again. "Did I even know I had the that get up on?"

"It was your idea."

"You two finished out here?" Missouri asked from the screened back door. "If you are - dinners ready."

Bobby and Dean gave each other another long look before Dean reached down to get the remains of the tape and throw it away. Dean tossed it into the garbage with another long sigh - ready to get to the table and have a sit. He was in a near crouch - readying to sit - when Missouri slapped him on the back of the neck. "Get yourself in the living room and clean up those cookies, boy...then you can have some chicken pot pie."

Dean eased the tension from his scrunched up shoulders in defeat looking to Missouri almost fearfully before he headed back to clean up the cookies from the floor.

*****************************

Sam listened to Manny and Vincent's even whispering at the other end of the room. He couldn't make out what they were saying, but with the sideways looks he was getting, he was pretty sure that he wasn't going to like what they were talking about. Sam lulled his head to the side to see Leah starring up at the ceiling - fighting a losing battle with the pain. "I'm glad you're awake." She whispered softly.

"Me too...how are you doing?" Sam asked gently rolling slightly to get a better look at her.

"I've been better." She half smiled - though her features were tight with the pain that was sweeping through her. She lulled her own head so that she could meet his eyes as a tear rolled from the corner of her left eyes - near escaping detection as it slid down her temple and into the shadow of the pillow beneath her head.

"Listen - You know this Manny guy?"

"Yeah - he's alright." Leah replied quietly - knowing what Sam was asking. "We're safe here, Sam."

"Where are we?" Sam had to find a way to tell Dean- he just couldn't do that if he didn't have the exact location.

"We're in Bullets, Texas...fifteen miles off of Route 15 down a back country road. Place called the Oil Pit." Leah whispered as Manny and Vincent continued their discussion.

" Do you know what they're talking about?"

"Not really - but they don't like you - so it may not be good." Leah replied evenly. "I'll convince them otherwise...so don't worry about it."

"Right." Sam hissed in a breath feeling a slight tinge of pain at the base of his skull. He reached around his neck and rubbed weak fingers over the spot - before his eyes opened wide in shock...oh God no...not again. The pain exploded in his head - causing him to instantly bring both hands to his head with a loud growl of a moan.

"Sam..." Leah's voice trembled as she saw the unmistakable signs of a vision. "God...no...Vincent!" Leah struggled to prop herself up on the elbow that wasn't broken...trying to get closer to Sam. "Sam! Snap out of it!"

"What the hell?!" Vincent and Manny made their way over in a rush. They both paused beside the table where am lay as Manny ushered Leah back down to not jostle her injuries too much. "What is going on?!"

"_Open your eyes." The hiss was pure evil...as the girl whimpered. "I want him to see...look in the damn mirror." She gasped in a pained breath and complied - showing terror in the azure depth of her suffering. Sam saw his reflection in the mirror - a young girl - maybe seventeen...He had the knife to her throat. Dusty brown eyes slowly swirling to yellow as Sam watched the reflections in the dimly lit public restroom. "Heya Sammy, Looks like round two started without giving you a fair advantage...but when was I ever fair?"_

"You bastard." It was her voice...not so fearful as the look in the her eyes as she was channeling Sam now.

"Maybe so...I'll spare you the backlash this time...but just so we're on the same page...I'm not going to fail this time." He slid the knife easily against her throat - cutting off any response that Sam could have given him. "Say a big Hello to Blondie for me....I'm sure I'll see her soon." 

Sam sat bolt upright knocking Vincent's hands away from him in a panic. "Knock Leah out - NOW!"

Leah fought against Manny trying to get to Sam, but was pushed back down. "He's starting the experiment again...you're about to go - if you don't hurry with the unconscious!"

Leah's eyes widened in terror as Sam fell back against the table at a pant. "You heard the man knock me out! Give me that sedative, Manny..now."

"This is ridiculous...you two have lost it. No one is knocking anyone out. Manny just give her enough to help with the pain." Vincent said quickly as Sam slammed his fist into the table in frustration. He suddenly pushed himself upward - sliding his legs off the table just far enough to leverage his weight right and slamm his foot into Vincent's throat. Sam took advantage of the down time he bought - from injury - Vincent - and shock - Manny - to slide off the table and wrench Vincent upward in a choke hold.

"Give her enough to knock her out - or I break his neck." Sam was through playing and he didn't have time to play convince the civilians. He hoped like hell that Manny didn't think he was bluffing as he fought to stay conscious. Dammit. "If you don't she's going to be dead in about five minutes." 


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

It was too late. Hesitations and lack of trust, things that there were no time to remedy. Slow response times and dulled senses, and to what avail? Sam looked past Vincent's staggering form in his faltering hold, to Manny looking from Sam to Vincent, who was shaking his head in Sam's hold, to Leah who was mirroring Sam's resolve for her to be unconscious. No one reacted fast enough.

Sam met her eyes, bottom lip quivering, fear shining in her own and he could see the momentary flicker to her being, a choked 'No!' on his lips and then she was gone. Vincent's elbow caught Sam in the ribs and he went down hard on his knees, agony taking his breath as he fought streaking vision before another hit hand him reeling backwards onto the warm concrete of the garage.

ooooooooo

Leah landed hard on her back. Oh of course…nothing could possibly go right could it? She couldn't just hope that someone could listen for all of five minutes?! She pushed up on her good arm and scrambled backwards, having fought the pain this long. There was a woman in the floor, life less eyes starring at her, a spatter of blood against the white porcelain of the dirty sink and now pooling beneath the girl's limp form. A low throaty laugh sounded down the hallway past the bathroom and Leah quickly got to her feet looking about frantically for some place to hide. She backed into one of the stalls and climbed on top of one of the toilets at a crouch.

Leah closed her eyes and swallowed thickly, trying to still her breath as there was a creak that had the door opening inward and she heard two sets of footsteps grace the tiled floor. "Get the mess cleaned up." Cam the still half chuckling order. "We may have visitors soon."

Leah felt her foot beginning to slip on the porcelain and let a breath escape as a whisper of a gasp, opening her eyes in horror as she looked and quickly started trying to get it back on the right place on the rim of the seat. Silence fell over the bathroom though and she jerked her head up to look at the stall door, lips trembling as rational thought took a vacation.

"Oooohhhh." A near triumphant and seductive sound greeted her ears as large black boots walked with purpose to stop before the stall door. "Scratch that." The door splintered, metal twisting around the edges were the lock met the stall frame and came flying inward slamming into Leah's knees. She was thrown off balance and fell sideways into the stall frame, her broken arm hitting the metal on her tumble. It was the pain and not the beaming yellow eyes man that caused her to pass out, leaving her trapped in his domain.

ooooooo

Sam woke with a groan laying face first on…shaggy swag carpet? "I like that…" A distant voice met his ears as he sniffed waiting for the pain to over take him, but it didn't. "That's really nice…" Sam furrowed his brow and lifted his head looking at the red carpet in confusion. The voice sounded familiar through shades of echoing waves of insanity and Sam was trying to piece together what was going on. A distant female giggle joined the voice and Sam pushed up silently on his elbows to see the end of the bed come into view.

Sam cocked his head to the side in a half side angle with a rapid blink of a move his lips pulled back as his nose wrinkled in contempt for whatever scene awaited him over that mahogany footboard. "Little lower….oh yeah right there." Sam almost groaned and set his head back onto the floor when he realized that it was Dean's voice.

Of course that was when he suddenly had the flash of memory of the girl with her throat slit in the bathroom floor and of Leah suddenly disappearing…but wasn't he in a garage somewhere? And how had he gotten here and what the hell was Dean…Oh he didn't want to know…but Leah and Yellow Eyes…Sam pushed himself up frantically and got to his feet realizing that his feet were in perfect shape…all his other injuries gone.

He looked over his body, sparring his eyes from the bed and flexed where each injury should have been before looking up in amazement, almost forgetting about the sounds coming from the bed. Sam cocked his head again though when his eyes lit over Dean's form and the fully clothed girl that sat in the dip of his back, massaging him. Huh? He wasn't expecting that…

"Dean…" Sam called instantly and Dean didn't respond right away as he was still giving directions on how to reach just the right spot.

"Oh hey Sammy what's up?" Dean finally asked - sounding perfectly relaxed, not afraid for his younger brother's safety.

Sam narrowed his eyes as he took in the rest of the room. Black wood paneling….lava lamps all over the place and some little beer refrigerator beside the bed. Dean had a cold one in his hand and there were two more empty bottles on the night stand. "Why don't you tell me?" Sam asked in confusion. What the hell was going on? This was the last state he would have thought to find Dean in.

"I'm relaxing Sam, you should try it." Dean answered evenly, a smile comfy on his lips as he made no attempt to look back at Sam.

"Dean, Leah just got taken by the yellow eyed demon and I'm trapped in Bullets, Texas in some dive called the Oil Pit." Sam's annoyance and anger permeated every note in his voice as he moved around the side of the bed so that Dean could see him. "I guess I thought you might be looking or something…what happened with Bobby? Where is this?"

Dean opened his eyes and positioned his head so that he could see Sam. It took a moment for what Sam was saying to sink in though. Suddenly Dean raised up and the woman that had been perched in the small of his back completely disappeared into think air. Dean looked around in more confusion as he pulled the sheet around his lower half, realization coming hard and fast. "This is a dream…how are you in my dream?" Dean asked quietly. "I thought we weren't connected anymore. You woke up right?"

"Yeah I woke up." Sam nodded as things began to make a little more sense. Man he wished he could have a dream like this, though he was a little surprised that Dean could fins one so relaxing with him missing. Sam wouldn't have been able to sleep if the tables were returned.

As if reading his questioning gaze, Dean pulled the sheet around himself tighter and got to his feet, scratching the back of his head. "Missouri gave me something to help me sleep." He said quickly looking Sam over. "That still doesn't explain why you're here…if you woke up then how am I seeing you here? Or are you dream Sammy?"

"I don't know maybe we forged some sort of connection while you were drugged and I was out of my body and I know I'm me…I'm just hoping that you aren't in my dream and not real." Sam sighed.

"Touché." Dean lifted his chin with a nod at that. "Wait you said you were in …where…Bullets, Texas? There's a town called Bullets?" Dean looked disbelieving as he scoffed at the name. "You're not really here are you?"

"For both our sakes I hope so and that's what Leah said before she disappeared. That we were in Bullets, Texas in a garage called the Oil Pit. She said it was off of Highway 15." Sam was trying to remember all the fuzzy details. "I had another vision. The demon he's starting the experiments again. He's got her."

Dean's eyes widened and he ran a hand down his face, hoping that he was simply having what was turning into a nightmare.

"I know this whole dream thing is really crazy, but Dean you have to believe me." Sam was nearly pleading. Dean began to nod slowly with a sharp breath.

"Yeah ok. I don't got any thing else to go on anyway and Ash is running down those signs for Yellow Eyes…so lets say I wake and find there really is this Bullets place…I'll be there as soon as I can, Sam. Me and Bobby are at Missouri's, in Lawrence…we'll get going as soon as I wake up, and convince the both of them that I know where we should go." Dean nodded.

Finally Dean stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Sam. "You hang on Sam." Sam hesitated and closed his eyes the feel of the embrace, despite Dean's lack of shirt, comforting. He scoffed trying to put Dean's mind at ease.

"I'm not going anywhere." Sam said lightly, hugging him back tighter. "Tell Bobby I can't wait to see him, and you guys be careful." Sam's voice was tight with emotion as the distance in between them had dug an emotional rut in his soul for the loss of his brother.

"You too, Sammy."

ooooooo

Dean awoke with a start in the guest room at Missouri's looking around frantically as he suddenly yanked the covers back and scrambled out of the bed. "Bobby!" Dean screamed at the top of his lungs in the darkened house. "I know where Sam is!" Dean already had his bags packed, ready to leave on a moments notice. "Bobby!" he called again to rouse the man.


End file.
